


Doubt Truth to be a Liar (But Never Doubt I Love)

by jaxonkreide, NamelesslyNightlock



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Merlin (TV) Fusion, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Apologies, Curses, Declarations Of Love, Dragon Loki (Marvel), Dragons, Established Relationship, Fear, Feels, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Happy Ending, Hurt Loki (Marvel), Identity Reveal, Injury, Loki (Marvel) Feels, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Love Confessions, M/M, Mild Blood, Miscommunication, Mistakes, Misunderstandings, Protective Loki (Marvel), Protective Tony Stark, Romantic Fluff, Secrets, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Understanding, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-12-13 20:35:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21003773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaxonkreide/pseuds/jaxonkreide, https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock
Summary: Nightly attacks from a vicious dragon spread fear throughout the Kingdom of Asgard, but none feel the cost more keenly than Prince Loki– and Tony will stop at nothing to bring his lover peace. Even if he has to go after the dragon himself.





	Doubt Truth to be a Liar (But Never Doubt I Love)

**Author's Note:**

> Partially inspired by the Merlin episode 2x09 The Lady of the Lake.  
  
This is also for jaxonkreide's Inktober Day 12— Dragon.  
  
Art by **jaxonkreide**, fic by **NamelesslyNightlock.**

The Kingdom of Asgard had a problem. A rather large problem which had emerald scales, teeth and claws that could tear flesh from bone, and a maw which spurted flames hot enough to melt stone.

They had long since been aware of the dragon, had known for years about the beast that roamed the forests at night. But it had never really been a _problem._ Sometimes it stole a sheep or two, but the Asgardians had always thought that a fair price since it meant that the dragon left the people themselves alone.

Except, recently… that hadn’t been the case.

The dragon had begun to encroach on the city itself, attacking the walls and burning the battlements. It started light enough and only every few months or so. But the attacks were growing steadily worse, until it came every night– until every single night, the dragon attacked the city, breaking through the walls, flaming the houses and tearing people from their homes. _Every_ night, people were _screaming_, and no matter how hard the knights and the soldiers fought, no one had got close enough to even _injure_ it. Then morning would come, and the people would pull themselves together as best they could. They would care for the wounded, they would repair the walls to the best of their ability– and then, after sunset, they would go through it all again.

The people were _tired._ No one had died yet, but they knew that wouldn’t last long. And there are only so many nights of fear you can live with before everything begins to shatter, before the world becomes such a dark place that even the brightest sparks of happiness are muted by shadows.

It was draining on everyone in the city, every single Asgardian– but Tony knew that despite what the townsfolk might think, it wasn’t half so draining on anyone as it was on the kingdom’s two princes.

Thor himself felt the heavy price of failure, the weight of the whole kingdom’s unmet expectation to _keep them safe_ almost crushing him entirely_._ He was their crown prince, he was the leader of their knights– he was the one who fought their battles and made sure that the kingdom wasn’t brought to harm. And since Odin had fallen terribly sick and Thor had become regent, the pressure had only increased thousandfold.

And Loki… Loki looked more broken every day. Because if Thor had the whole kingdom resting on his shoulders, then Loki looked like he was trying to hold up the world. For while Thor dealt with the protection of the realm, Loki had always been the prince who worried more about the little things. He was the one who kept the castle’s budget in check, who kept the people fed, who made sure that the kingdom was running _smoothly_. If it weren’t for him, Asgard would have fallen apart long ago. And in this crisis, it was _Loki_ who felt the pain of the whole city as his own.

Loki was running himself ragged just as surely as Thor was, even researching in the library and trying to find _reasons_ why this might be happening so they could think of alternate solutions. One evening, Tony found Loki hunched over a book that discussed how dragons mated for life, how they would go berserk and destroy everything in their path if their mates were taken from them– but of course, if that were the case, then it wasn’t something that they could _fix_. They were just going to have to keep _trying_ to survive.

It was clear that it was taking a heavy toll on Loki. He stopped coming to Tony’s rooms at night, and he stopped asking Tony to go to his. And the few times that Tony had headed up to Loki’s anyway, Loki _wasn’t there_. Tony didn’t know why, Loki didn’t say a word, but… he knew that Loki wasn’t sleeping. Perhaps he was walking the halls of the castle, stressing over the state of the kingdom. Perhaps he was mourning for the lives that he inevitably would not be able to save.

The only thing Tony knew for sure was that it was tearing Loki apart.

He _did_ find Loki sleeping once, but only the once. He hadn’t been able to sleep himself, having been awake all night helping the surgeon remove molten armour from burned and screaming bodies. By the time he was done it was gone sunrise, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep– that even if he could, he would be plagued by the screams in his nightmares. And in that moment, there was only one place he wanted to be, and his feet took him toward Loki’s rooms before his mind could even wonder what he’d find there.

But Loki _was _there. He was sleeping, and he… looked _awful._ His hair was full of knots, his face gaunt, his lips twisted with the horror of a bad dream. And he actually _flinched_ when Tony reached out to touch his shoulder– but the moment he opened his panicked eyes and saw _Tony,_ then he had curled into Tony’s chest, and he’d sobbed himself back to sleep. Loki didn’t say anything, and Tony didn’t push. He just held him close, and told him how much he loved him– but then he’d stopped, because for some reason… that only made Loki cry harder.

They were all reaching breaking point, they were _all_ on the verge of shattering.

And when Thor announced a dangerous and near suicidal plan to go out and hunt the monster, Tony found that he had been expecting it.

The plan was relatively simple. They couldn’t risk leaving the townsfolk undefended, so most of the knights would stay behind, led by one of their boldest warriors– the Lady Sif.

That left Thor, Loki, and Tony to go out to face the dragon.

It was their best chance, their best hope. Thor was the fiercest fighter they had, and Loki’s skill with magic would be invaluable, while Tony– well, Tony was _fast_. He’d never been the _strongest_ but he’d always been able to best opponents that by all rights should have been able to overpower him, just by outthinking and outstepping them. Thor and Loki would be able to distract the dragon and hold it off, while Tony went in for the kill.

It was a tactic that had worked on magical monsters in the past. It _was_ a solid plan, and even though the likelihood of it succeeding was slim it really was the best that they would be able to muster. But Tony… well. he took one look at the pale, sickened expression on Loki’s face, and he knew that he would not be able to go through with one particular aspect of it.

And when Loki dashed out of the throne room the moment that Thor instructed them all to go and get some rest before sunset, Tony was right on his heels.

Loki didn’t go far– he’d stopped in one of the smaller, less frequented corridors, one hand against the wall and his forehead pressed to the stone, his breathing much too fast even as he was quite clearly trying to control it.

“Loki?” Tony asked, his voice gentle. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull Loki into a hug, but… he wasn’t sure that such a thing would be welcome. The thought hurt, but Loki’s comfort was more important to him than anything. So he stayed back as he asked, “Loki, what’s wrong? What can I do?”

Loki’s breath drew in sharply, and the hand against the wall curled into a fist before he turned to face Tony. He hadn’t been crying, but his eyes were red from the strain of holding tears back– and the pain in them was enough to cut Tony to the core.

“Anthony,” Loki said, his voice small and broken. “I need to tell you something.”

“Anything,” Tony said immediately, taking half a step forward– and then pausing as he remembered Loki’s flinch a couple of mornings before. “Lokes, you know you can talk to me. I love you, I’m with you. Always.”

Once again, though, that only seemed to make Loki _worse_. “I won’t–” he choked, “I’m not going to be able to ride with you tonight.”

“You don’t have to,” Tony said instantly, feeling an immediate and overwhelming surge of _relief_. “Loki, you don’t _have to_. You’re exhausted, going out there like this will only result in—”

“It’s not– I can’t—” Loki words turned into a broken whine.

“It’s okay,” Tony soothed. “Loki, it’s okay—”

“It’s _not_. Anthony, I’ve been horrible to you,” Loki said, his whole body trembling. “I’ve been pushing you back, and pulling you close at the same time. It’s not fair, it’s terrible, and I’m so sorry—”

“Shh,” Tony said– and he could no longer hold back. He stepped forward, opening his arms, hoping that Loki would accept because he just _couldn’t_ stand back any more, not when Loki was shattering right in front of him—

And then Loki fell forward, burying into Tony’s arms as his whole body shook with pain.

“You don’t have to come,” Tony said again, his voice soothing as he stroked Loki’s hair. “No one will think any less of you. You can stay here, you can stay _safe_.”

“I don’t care about myself, not anymore,” Loki said– and those hoarse words sliced at Tony’s heart like a rusty saw. “I want _you_ to be safe. I need you to stay here.”

Tony swallowed down against the lump in his throat. “I have to help Thor,” he said. “I’m not tired, I had almost a full four hours last night. I will be fine.” The words felt like a lie. But he had to believe them. He had to make _Loki_ believe them. “I’ll come back to you, I promise. This time tomorrow, we’ll be in each other’s arms. We’ll be safe, and we’ll be together—”

“No,” Loki moaned. “Please, don’t go out tonight. Stay here, stay in the castle. Stay safe, and stay– _away_ from the monster.”

Tony felt something in him freeze at that. Something that had been breaking for a while. And maybe he should have held on to it, but… every emotion was heightened, and—

With Loki, his _strong_ Loki practically _begging—_

“How can you ask that of me?” Tony whispered, leaning back a little so that he could see Loki’s tear-stained face. “How can you ask me to stay in the castle, when I don’t even know where _you_ go every night?”

Loki drew in a shuddering breath, but he didn’t try to say anything to the contrary. “Please,” he whispered. “Anthony, _please._ I know that I can’t stop Thor, but, _please. _Don’t do this. I can’t, _I can’t_ do this.”

And Tony… he’d never seen Loki so broken, but there was something that scratched at him about this. Because Loki…

Loki was crying, he was _shattering,_ and yet—

He was _still_ _holding back_.

“Loki?” Tony asked. “Do you… trust me? And I’m not just asking about the ordinary kind of trust, I’m asking about the kind of trust that I have in _you._ Do you trust me to know everything? To stand by you, regardless of _anything_ that you could say to me? Do you trust that no matter what happens, _no matter what_, I will always love you?”

Loki drew in a sharp breath– but he didn’t answer. And that… well. That was answer enough.

“Okay,” Tony sighed, trying not to let the sting show, even though it hurt enough that it could have brought him to his knees. “Then I’ll make you a deal. When it’s almost time to ride out, I will come to your quarters– and if you’re there, then I’ll stay with you, and we’ll sleep the night through together. But if you're not, then I _will_ be riding out with Thor.”

Something in Loki seemed to break, then, and he leaned back out of Tony’s arms.

“You’ll be disappointed,” Loki whispered, his voice a broken whisper.

“Why?” Tony demanded. “Loki, _why? _What’s happening to you? What’s going on—”

“I don’t want to lose you,” Loki said. “I can’t– I_ can’t_ lose you. I do love you, Anthony, I love you more than anything—”

“But you won’t talk to me,” Tony interrupted. “Why not?”

There was half a moment where Tony thought that Loki _might_ just answer, where he parted his lips and his green eyes just looked so vulnerable, so _achingly_ desperate to let Tony in—

But, then.

“I can’t,” Loki whispered.

“Then I don’t know what to say, Lokes,” Tony said. “Because… I love you too, and I hope that I’ll see you tonight. But if you can’t trust me, then… I don’t know where to go from here.”

And… well, if he stayed any longer, then Tony thought _he_ might break. So he turned on his heel and he _left_, hoping that he would make it to his own quarters before his own tears began to fall.

—x—

Tony felt cold as he rode out into the forest, though that had nothing to do with the chill of the midnight air and everything to do with the fact that Loki’s bed had been empty when he had gone to check.

It wasn’t so much that Loki was sneaking out and keeping secrets that hurt him– it was that it felt like Loki didn’t _trust_ him anymore. Loki could keep his secrets, but, Tony just– he just wanted to be there for Loki, for whatever Loki needed. And when Loki didn’t let Tony in, Tony worried that Loki was _hurting_, and that there was nothing he could do to help.

He just. He just wanted to know that Loki was _okay_.

He shouldn’t have left the way that he had, he– he should have pushed past his own selfishness, he should have—

“Tony,” Thor said, his voice gentle but firm. “I know that you are worrying for my brother, but you must focus. It is a dangerous thing we do tonight.”

Tony shook his head to clear it. “Yeah,” he said. “Sorry.”

“Do not apologise,” Thor said. “Just, focus. You will not help Loki if you return in several bloody pieces.”

Well, that was true at least, and the thought of how that really would hit Loki was enough to sharpen Tony’s mind.

After what had happened… he _had_ to get back to Loki. He had to, so that they could talk about what had happened, so that they could work things out. So that they could heal, and be _okay._

Tony loved Loki more than anything. Seeing him that way broke his heart, and he just…

_Focus._

Tony needed his head in the game. He couldn’t afford a single distraction, because if he didn’t make it back now—

_Not an option._

It was just him and Thor. When Tony had brought the news that Loki wouldn’t be coming, the blood had drained from Thor’s face and he had turned deathly pale. Tony asked if they should go and find Fandral, if they should replace Loki with someone else– but the dragon had already begun to attack the walls, the roars somehow more vicious than they had _ever_ been before.

Tony couldn’t help but think that tonight might be the night that someone died. It was a miracle that no one had so far– some injuries had been horrible enough that surely, someone _should have_.

But with the dragon already attacking, he and Thor had no choice. They had to act _immediately_, and they had to go alone.

So it was just the pair of them riding through the forest around the castle walls, getting into a position where they would be able to follow the dragon back to its lair once it was done attacking, so that they could try to kill it when it was off guard. It had been Tony’s idea, and they had both decided that was the only way they had a chance of surviving this night.

They had tried to find the lair before of course, had searched during the day to no avail. Hopefully, by following it, they would have better luck—

But just as Tony had that thought, the skies were cleaved open with an ear-splitting roar, and the darkness of the night exploded with the heat of fire.

Tony’s horse screamed and reared, and Tony was forced to hold on for his life as he bolted. Tony tried to speak to him in a soothing voice, tried to calm him enough to take back control but the poor thing was terrified, and Tony couldn’t really blame him.

He could hear Thor shouting somewhere behind, but the words were drowned out by the steady _thump_ of wings through smoke-filled air that burned in Tony’s lungs. His breaths came in gasps, his heart was pounding as loud as the hoof-beats on the ground.

Then another burst of flame appeared before him, and Tony’s horse skidded to the side—

Tony was thrown from the saddle, and he hit the ground _hard._ Something in one of his arms _snapped_ and he bit down against the pain, the taste of iron bursting across his tongue.

“Tony!”

“Thor, stay back!” Tony shouted, trying to get to his feet, the pain in his arm almost blinding him. “It’s– it’s somewhere around here—”

And wasn’t that just strange? Ever since the dragon had first begun attacking some months ago, it had _always_ gone for the city. Even if soldiers had left the city walls and tried to attack from below, the dragon had simply ignored them and continued its assault.

So why was it going after Tony?

Well, you know what? That was probably a question that could wait until a time when he _wasn’t_ getting attacked by a giant fire breathing lizard.

Tony ducked to the side as a heavy tail swept over his head, and then he dodged a leathery wing—

And then the dragon landed, all snapping teeth and bursting flames, those emerald scales shining in the light of the embers that were already scattered through the small clearing in which Tony had fallen from his horse. The dragon seemed to fill most of the space as it turned his head to stare Tony down, and Tony felt like he couldn’t _breathe,_ because this had to be it—

There was no way he could get out of this.

His heart was pounding, his breath too fast. He felt like he was noticing a thousand things at once, like how the dragon’s snarl had lowered in pitch, like how the smoke was starting to dissipate, like how the dragon…

Well, how the dragon was the same colour as Loki’s eyes, the same hue as the magic that Loki could swirl between his quick fingers.

Tony drew in a deep breath.

This very well could be it for him. He might never see Loki again, he might never be able to make things right, might never again be able to hold Loki close and kiss his hair while he told him how much he loved him.

But if this was it, then by god Tony was going to go down making sure that Loki was _safe_.

So when the dragon took a step forward, its sharp eyes burning into Tony as it opened its mouth, showing those sharp, _sharp_ teeth—

Tony gripped the hilt of his sword, and he prepared to _move—_

Then there was the sound of crashing through the underbrush, as a man on horseback came storming between the trees.

“For Asgard!” Thor roared, his horse charging fearlessly, his war hammer swinging madly—

The dragon spun, swiping out with his tail and catching Thor’s horse in the side, sending Thor flying in only a moment—

But Tony was already on the move. He’d always been able to best opponents that by all rights should have been able to overpower him. And he’d always done it by being _quick. _He dashed under a wing and around a leg, his sword in his hand as he pulled back his uninjured arm—

And then the dragon turned its head to meet Tony’s gaze. It felt like it was looking into Tony’s very soul with eyes that were a bright, bright green– and not the kind of eyes you would expect to see on a lizard. They were intelligent, they were emotive, they were—

They were _familiar—_

And they widened right as Tony’s sword slammed into the dragon’s gut.

The dragon twisted with a bloodcurdling cry that rattled Tony right to his bones, lifting the hair on the back of his neck and stopping his heart in his chest. It was a horrible sound, one that Tony knew would haunt his nightmares for years to come.

Especially since… _those eyes_ were—

“No,” Tony whispered.

It should have been impossible.

It _had_ to be impossible—

But the dragon… the _dying_ dragon was shrinking before Tony’s eyes, large green haunches melting away, scales slipping into skin and leather clothing, and snout shortening into a face that Tony knew better than his own.

And then Tony fell to his knees beside the love of his life, his whole body in broken shock.

“Anthony?” Loki choked, his hands coming up to press against the wound in his stomach, his clothes already stained with far too much red– red that matched the blood on Tony’s sword.

Tony’s fingers felt tight and unyielding as his sword fell from them, as if they weren’t his own.

“No,” Tony said again, the word falling from his lips in half horror, half prayer. “Loki… Loki you’re not… you’re—”

“Anthony,” Loki rasped. “I’m so sorry.”

“_No,”_ Tony growled. “No, you don’t get to be sorry, not for this. Not _now—_”

“Yes, I do.” Loki turned his head a little, his ebony horns glinting in the moonlight, the leathery wings that had yet to recede shifting lightly in the grass. “I’m dying. I can say what I want, I think.”

“Don’t,” Tony said. “Loki—”

“I _will_ say what I want,” Loki interrupted, his breath short, his words almost breaking with desperation. “Please, Anthony. Let me– let me say what I should have told you before. While I still can.”

Tony felt like he was cracking open, and he wanted nothing more than to tell Loki that they were going to have all the time in the world—

But he couldn’t bring himself to utter a lie. Not when… not when it might be the last thing said between them.

“Okay,” he whispered– though he couldn’t resist leaning closer. He never could. Gently, _tenderly_, Tony slid his bloodstained hand under Loki’s head, cushioning him while threading his fingers through Loki’s soft hair. His broken arm he held close to his body, and as he leaned over his love he saw the beginnings of tears in Loki’s eyes.

“I was cursed,” Loki started, his voice beyond pained. “Years ago. I– my father, he made me _swear_ not to tell another soul. So I never did, and I– I could always control myself. I never hurt _anyone_. But then… I fell in love with you.”

Loki shifted again, and Tony wanted to tell him not to move– but he only reached up to touch his hand to Tony’s cheek.

“I didn’t understand it, at first,” Loki said. “But then I looked in the library, and I learned… what happens, when a dragon is separated from their mate.”

“Dragons mate for life,” Tony whispered as he remembered– and Loki gave a harsh nod.

“I love you,” he said. “And I know you love me, as I am now. But… when I am a dragon, I couldn’t– I couldn’t be _sure_, that you still would. And that meant that I… I lost control.”

“You were attacking the city, because all this time you’ve been trying to get to _me,”_ Tony whispered. “That’s why you chased after me tonight. You weren’t trying to hurt me, your instincts were just driving you to get close.”

“I’m sorry,” Loki whispered, his hand sliding from Tony’s cheek to the shoulder of his injured arm. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Tony asked. “We could have worked through this—”

“I was afraid,” Loki whispered– and his eyes fell closed, his hand slipping down all the way to come to rest on the wound in his stomach. And those horns were almost gone, now– the wings folding further against Loki’s back, his tail uncurling from where it had been resting around his waist. It was strange to watch, but… Tony’s gaze was just on Loki’s eyes, willing, _begging_ for them to open again. “I was scared that I would lose you, if you knew. And I can’t… I can’t lose you, Anthony.”

“And you won’t,” Tony said. “You _won’t_, you hear me? I love you, Loki. No matter what, I always will, and I—” he choked himself off as he realised. “I did this to you. You weren’t even trying to hurt me, and I—”

“No,” Loki said– Tony’s pain apparently enough to have Loki’s eyes opening once more. And his voice grew a little stronger as he growled– “No, this is _not_ your fault, Anthony. I do not want you to feel guilty for this, not ever. You are going to leave here, and you are going live a long and full life—”

“Not without you,” Tony whimpered, bending down to press his head to Loki’s shoulder. “I love you. I _love_ you now, forever. I can’t just let you go—”

“It’s okay—”

“No, it’s _not.”_ Tony’s breaths were harsh, shuttered, _shaking_. He felt like the world was being torn in two, like he had carved out his own heart with a single slice of his sword.

And really… in a way, he _had_.

Loki had been his love for as long as he knew. They’d been the best of friends as children– everyone looked down on the idea of a prince befriending the son of the palace smith, but they’d loved one another anyway. And as they’d grown older, as that friendship began to burn into something so much deeper, the kingdom had simply just come to accept it as a solid state of fact.

Tony Stark and Prince Loki loved one another. They always had, and they _always would—_

And nothing, _nothing_ was going to get in the way of that.

Even now, Loki’s hand was stroking gently at Tony’s hair, his fingers holding more strength than they had when they had brushed Tony’s cheek. His voice was steadier, his breathing was stronger. And maybe it was just Tony’s imagination. Maybe it was wishful thinking—

But either way, Tony knew, he’d always _known_ that he sure as hell wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Neither of them were, not like this.

“No,” Tony snarled, lifting his head with a sudden and fierce surge of determination. “_No._ Loki, you’re going to be all right. You _are_.”

“Anthony,” Loki sighed– and was it just Tony, or was there a little more colour in Loki’s cheeks?

“No,” Tony said again, his voice cracking in pain. “Loki, you’re the most powerful mage Asgard has seen in a _long_ time. You’re a freaking _dragon._ There has to be some way that you can heal this. You have to, because– because I _need_ you, Lokes, you hear me? And I’m not going to let you die on me.”

Loki’s eyes were wide, and they were _bright. _“You really do love me,” he whispered.

“Of freaking course I do,” Tony snapped, possibly feeling a little hysterical. “I always have and I always will, and if you haven’t learned that by now, then you must be some kind of, of _moron—” _

“Anthony, are you _really_ calling me a moron on my deathbed?”

“You’re not _on_ your deathbed,” Tony replied– and the more he said it, the more sure he was. “Loki, you’re arguing with me. You’re going to be fine, you’re– wait a moment– Loki, _look.”_

Tony stared down at Loki’s abdomen, to the leather clothes that were stained with blood. The hole in Loki’s tunic was easy to find, but the hole in his stomach was…

Loki actually sat up at the sight, staring in surprise.

“Healed,” Tony whispered. Then he smiled– and then that smile turned into a laugh of overwhelming relief, the emotion flooding through him in a wave. “_How?”_

“You love me,” Loki said– though this time, he said it as more of a simple statement of fact. Then he, too, laughed incredulously. “And I _know_ it.”

“That is some freaky kind of magic right there,” Tony exclaimed– and he threw his good arm around Loki’s shoulders—

“You can say that again.”

They both turned at the sound of Thor’s voice, freezing in each other’s arms.

Thor looked a _bit_ rough. He had twigs in his hair and a massive black eye, and he was leaning to one side as if one of his legs was injured. Loki winced at the sight, and Tony clutched him a little closer.

“Loki,” Thor sighed, his tone of voice one that Tony and Loki were both _incredibly_ familiar with. “What happened?”

Loki’s explanation was a little more detailed this time, and Tony listened intently as he explained how he had been cursed by a witch to turn into a winged beast during the night. Frigga had been able to contain some of the curse, giving Loki enough control so that it was not _every_ night, so that he remained himself when he transformed. But… a dragon’s need to be with their other half was too strong, and when Loki and Tony had hit adulthood, when they had begun sneaking into each other’s beds and stealing moments in dark hallways—

The closer they had become, the more control Loki lost.

“I’m sorry,” Loki said again– and Tony was starting to feel a little sick of those words. “I am so sorry, Thor, though I know that will never be enough. I should have said something, but I was selfish. I didn’t want to lose Anthony. And I couldn’t leave, because I knew that as a dragon, I would just fly straight back.”

“Hey,” Tony said, taking Loki’s hand. “It’s okay. Thor’s not going to lock you up for this.”

“I don’t think our dungeons could hold a dragon, regardless,” Thor said thoughtfully.

“Then… what happens next?” Loki asked, fear still lacing his voice. “I’m still cursed, and they’ll kill me if they find out. I don’t– I know I’m a monster, but I don’t want to die—”

“You're _not_ a monster,” Tony said quickly. And when Loki went to speak– “No, you’re _not. _You said you’ll have more control, now. And you’re not going to die. We’ve already established that I won’t let you.”

“Actually, I think it might be best if you _both_ died,” Thor said, his voice contemplative.

And Tony’s eyes widened. “What?” He snapped, his hand scrabbling for the hilt of the sword that he’d dropped. “_Thor—”_

“I am going to return to Asgard with the news of your deaths,” Thor continued, seemingly immune to the growing fire in them both. But that fire dissipated when Thor added– “I will tell them that you both fought heroically, that you killed the dragon and died in the attempt. Your bodies all went up in flames, of course.”

Tony blinked. Loki, on the other hand, managed to keep his wits.

“Thor,” he said, his voice soft. “We don’t have anywhere to go.”

“I don’t believe for a moment that you will let something like that stop you,” Thor replied, his voice a little watery now. “You’ll be fine, I know it.”

“Thor,” Loki said. And he and Tony got to their feet, both feeling a little wobbly but– steady enough for this. “_Brother—” _

“I want you to be happy, Loki,” Thor said. “And you’re right, you won’t be in Asgard. The people will want you dead, and I do not think that even I could stop them. But… you said the only reason you could not leave was because of Tony. So take him with you.” Thor smiled, then– and he limped forward to wrap them both in a hug. “So go, both of you. Go and be together, live the best lives that you can. Maybe one day, our paths will cross again.”

“I hope so,” said Tony. “Thank you, Thor. For everything.”

“There is no need to thank me,” Thor said, pulling away. “Just keep my brother safe.”

And then Thor turned to limp into the trees, making his way back to the city so that he could tell the world their story.

That left the two of them alone in the clearing, still with their arms around each other– well, as best they could, given that one of Tony’s was broken. Their gazes met as Loki leaned their foreheads together, and Tony’s lips curved up into a small smile.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Loki asked, his voice soft. “I can still call Thor back. If we go now… we’ll be leaving everything behind.”

“Not everything,” Tony said, reaching up to cup Loki’s cheek. “And you know what, Lokes? I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

And when their lips came together in a sweet kiss, it didn’t _feel_ like they were about to embark into in uncertain future.

It just felt like coming home.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find the art for this fic on tumblr [here.](https://jaxonkreide.tumblr.com/post/188303998534/day-12-dragon-going-after-my-already-established)


End file.
